Ask Wolves

[Deleted member (smith)]

We are portfolio FC.

Team doesn't matter, stay in the league and use the premier league exposure to help there other interests.

Hwang makes even more sense.

I want them out.

Be careful what you wish for ….the grass is not always greener

There are few owners who will continue to spend to buy success on the field …most recognize that revenue provides a ceiling to expenditure over the long run.

 

[Flea]

they have a huge international following because they are successful, not because of bloody esports or music

Excaktly.

I will never understand why we didn´t go for it more after our first or sceond season.
We were just a couple of solid signings away from really competing for a top four spot and at the very least it would have meant us playing EL more or less each season.
Have we reached this stage of competitiveness..our fan base internationally would have grown.
E sports?
I am too old no doubt..but that is basically people watching other people playing video games?
That won´t make us progress as a football club I do believe.

 

[sedgwolf1980]

This whole e-sports thing seems to be getting a ridiculously disproportionate amount of focus. Jeff talks about it as if it’s just as important as football on the pitch.

Used to think it was a nice creative way of increasing exposure, now I think it’s actually taking up too much of the clubs efforts.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

Be careful what you wish for ….the grass is not always greener

There are few owners who will continue to spend to buy success on the field …most recognize that revenue provides a ceiling to expenditure over the long run.

This isn't to help the club. This is to help them grow other interests.

We are nothing but a cash cow and good advertising

 

[Bognor_Wolf]

The one thing that does wind me up about Shi and I think where alot of the negativity comes from is how he talks about fans around the world being so important (which i get) but doesnt show abit more respect for the fans who travel around the country paying out a lot of money to support the team....

Was the same last year with his comments about supporting the team more etc just doesn't sit right with me tbh..

 

[DanishWolf]

Nobody is up in arms about them trying to build any revenue stream . The issue is those revenue streams at the moment are particularly significant and ultimately people support the teams for football and success not e-sports. To suggest this is going to significantly impact the status / financial well being of Wolves any time in the near future is way off beam to me.

I agree however I dont think to Fosun it matter whether people support the football or the e-sport. Shi is quite clear about that.

"Actually, there are a lot of supporters now around the world, so if we are talking about some supporters on social media here, for Wolves, the first-team, I think maybe not totally on the same page, I can admit that. But if we are talking about all the fanbase around the world, so, for example, some fans from America, some fans from China, some fans more interested in esports rather than football...."

In other words, it doesnt really matter too much whether fans of the football team is unhappy..

Now question that will of course be asked is, are those fans, who couldnt care less about the football, fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club most of us here love and cherish or are they just fan of the "brand" that Fosun has used the Wolves as a tool for?

In a sense they could be genuine Wolverhampton Wanderers fans. I mean, Barcelona also have a basketball team, and I guess they've basketball fans, who dont care about the football team. Same now with us. We've E-sports fans who dont care about the football..
However its also very difficult for most of us to accept, that whats startening to happen now is, that the football part of Wolves may be just a small, and to a large degree, less important part of a large portfolio under the "Wolves brand".
It's also difficult to accept that to a large degree, the opinion of what is often deemed "legacy fans", those of us, who's been supporting Wolves, the football team for years, doesnt really matter much.

 

[Bawtry Wolf]

This whole e-sports thing seems to be getting a ridiculously disproportionate amount of focus. Jeff talks about it as if it’s just as important as football on the pitch.

Used to think it was a nice creative way of increasing exposure, now I think it’s actually taking up too much of the clubs efforts.

In China E-sports is massive so there may be an element of ensuring that the new venture is given a high profile.

 

[Deleted member 7862Bler]

its clear that Bruno is bein told to play Hwang.

 

[Bawtry Wolf]

I agree however I dont think to Fosun it matter whether people support the football or the e-sport. Shi is quite clear about that.

"Actually, there are a lot of supporters now around the world, so if we are talking about some supporters on social media here, for Wolves, the first-team, I think maybe not totally on the same page, I can admit that. But if we are talking about all the fanbase around the world, so, for example, some fans from America, some fans from China, some fans more interested in esports rather than football...."

In other words, it doesnt really matter too much whether fans of the football team is unhappy..

Now question that will of course be asked is, are those fans, who couldnt care less about the football, fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club most of us here love and cherish or are they just fan of the "brand" that Fosun has used the Wolves as a tool for?

In a sense they could be genuine Wolverhampton Wanderers fans. I mean, Barcelona also have a basketball team, and I guess they've basketball fans, who dont care about the football team. Same now with us. We've E-sports fans who dont care about the football..
However its also very difficult for most of us to accept, that whats startening to happen now is, that the football part of Wolves may be just a small, and to a large degree, less important part of a large portfolio under the "Wolves brand".
It's also difficult to accept that to a large degree, the opinion of what is often deemed "legacy fans", those of us, who's been supporting Wolves, the football team for years, doesnt really matter much.

Fairly succinctly put. I would also say Red Bull have their fingers in a lot of pies and there isn’t necessarily a cross over between each of the teams/activities the support.

 

[Oh When the Wolves]

Not filled with excitement on the back of Shi’s interview (S2 E11). But I guess he was never going to come out and say “we’re looking to spend £200m this summer, and Neves has signed a 5 year deal”.

Some observations/ questions:

• Glad we’re not gung-ho racking up debts. But we seem very scared about FFP - seem to use this as more of an excuse than any other clubs in the PL
• Does eSports really lead to more revenue for the first XI?
• What does re-shuffling the squad actually mean? Doesn’t sound like we’ll be spending much though. Think our squad peaked 2019/20
• Hwang is in the team for the long haul based on his comments regarding Asian market needing an Asian player to grow their support/ passion
• Find it hard to believe there were no players that would have improved the team in Jan - if budget wasn’t the issue (Shi’a words). Perhaps we do have a terrible scouting team?
• Ceiling is going to be the word we hear A LOT from now on under Fosun
• He talks some waffle: “Maybe next season we can go to the top 4?”, having just said our ceiling is outside the top 6
• Fans need to accept we’re a ‘corporate’ not a ‘club’

It is outrageous that we are starting a player in a football team based solely on the fact he is Korean

 

[Derbywolf85]

I would absolutely LOVE it if A FAN got to ask the questions to these people.

I love Johnny Phillips - He's an excellent journalist - but I always get the vibe he let's the club off too easily so he can keep his relationshipe there. It's clear the seniors at the club have gone from being right IN TOUCH with the fans, to so far OUT OF TOUCH that it beggars believe, really.

I'd love Jeff or Russ to have to explain the answers in some of these videos, face to face, to Barry from Gornal who's been a ST holder with his family and pumping his hard earned money in to something he absolutely loves for the better part of 40 years.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Fans Wanted communication

Communication comes out

“ it's not what I wanted to here”

I see relegation has been thrown in already, a week after the end of the season.

The club aren't going to tell you targets or the money they have to spend so let's just see how the summer plays out

They literally have told us, plenty of times, about the money we have to spend.

It's entirely down to what we bring in, as it has been for two years.

How can you actually believe (or even hope) that it's going to be different? They're spelling it out to us and you're still saying it's not true.

 

[WKFWolf]

The only way these videos would go down well is if he turned round and said we have 500 million to spend.

Nah people would still moan he didn't say 600

 

[MasWolf]

Just watched the first episode with Bruno. I can't believe people want him sacked. He came across so well in my opinion. He seems to have an excellent idea of where he wants to take the squad.

 

[Joshwolf218]

They literally have told us, plenty of times, about the money we have to spend.

It's entirely down to what we bring in, as it has been for two years.

How can you actually believe (or even hope) that it's going to be different? They're spelling it out to us and you're still saying it's not true.

Because I can't tell the future clearly you can going on something that the window hasn't even opened yet and people are baying for blood

Usually becusse of villa or Fulham doing bits, we won't spend mega millions because we don't have it any major spending will be from the Neves money clearly

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

Fans Wanted communication

Communication comes out

“ it's not what I wanted to here”

I see relegation has been thrown in already, a week after the end of the season.

The club aren't going to tell you targets or the money they have to spend so let's just see how the summer plays out

With all due respect Josh we have just watched Wolves pick up 5 from the last 27 available - that's relegation form.
Our better players look like they are leaving which impacts not only the team but the attractiveness of Wolves as a team to come to.

The communication from Wolves is pretty much confirming what we expected and little of it is encouraging. there has been a step change in our approach it seems within the club.

I have been with you in the last two or three windows saying "lets review at the end of the window" only for little or nothing to happen even when we were in an unexpectedly good position at the start of the year and this contributed to millions being lost in revenue for league position.

I frankly worry about our recruitment ability / decision making. We are looking to use the Neves cash (hopefully 50m) to rebuild a squad where 3 players have already left and potentially Neves, Moutinho are on their way too.
We paid a combined 72m for a non scoring substitute in Silva, and Semedo (doesn't matter how good they are / may be) now appear to be spectacularly overpriced / bad business decisions.

 

[steve vena]

its clear that Bruno is bein told to play Hwang.

It is outrageous that we are starting a player in a football team based solely on the fact he is Korean

Agree . It's weird, it don't sit right with me. Give him the last 5 mins at the end of a game , that'll do.

 

[Deleted member 7862Bler]

It is outrageous that we are starting a player in a football team based solely on the fact he is Korean

In any other business, someone being given favorable treatment in the workplace (e.g. being picked to play) ahead of someone of better ability purley because of their nationality/race would be a case for racial discrimination.
Sadly, I can see Hwang feature more and more next season and the fans resentment of him being picked getting worse as its clear its only done because these Korean.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

It's a real worry.

I've listened to Sellars and Vinny's as well and they just come across as clueless.

One example, not helped by Jonny Phillips admittedly as he implied it too, was how having away fans along the bottom of the Steve Bull gives away teams an advantage and makes more atmosphere for them. The vast majority of football fans in the league will tell you it's the worst away end in the league for making an atmosphere. So, this isn't a big deal, just shows the sort of idiots we have in charge.

Sellars was full of **** (again). 'If we brought in another central midfielder we wouldn't have found out about Luke Cundle'. He played 180 minutes all season in the league haha. He of course talks complete rubbish about Traore - also would say zero chance of him staying beyond this window from the tone.

Listened to Jeff, Vinny & Sellars so far and it's been a waste of time really. A lot of rubbish spoken (Jeff & FFP). Pretty pointless but looking forward to Lage's.

 

[Deleted member drgr12429]

Fans Wanted communication

Communication comes out

“ it's not what I wanted to here”

I see relegation has been thrown in already, a week after the end of the season.

The club aren't going to tell you targets or the money they have to spend so let's just see how the summer plays out

I haven't watched the vids yet. Thought i'd pop on here to see the meltdown beforehand.
I guess if you only want to hear what you perceive to be the right words then probably don't watch the videos.
I'm going to watch tonight and base my views on them i think.

 

[WeAreTheWolvesII]

Because I can't tell the future clearly you can going on something that the window hasn't even opened yet and people are baying for blood

Usually becusse of villa or Fulham doing bits, we won't spend mega millions because we don't have it any major spending will be from the Neves money clearly

What are you on about? He's told us there's no money to spend. You don't need to see the future or anything. Jeff has said it again, there will be a zero net spend.

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

This isn't to help the club. This is to help them grow other interests.

We are nothing but a cash cow and good advertising

A cash cow they’ve just written a £120 million debt off for.

 

[Joshwolf218]

With all due respect Josh we have just watched Wolves pick up 5 from the last 27 available - that's relegation form.
Our better players look like they are leaving which impacts not only the team but the attractiveness of Wolves as a team to come to.

The communication from Wolves is pretty much confirming what we expected and little of it is encouraging. there has been a step change in our approach it seems within the club.

I have been with you in the last two or three windows saying "lets review at the end of the window" only for little or nothing to happen even when we were in an unexpectedly good position at the start of the year and this contributed to millions being lost in revenue for league position.

I frankly worry about our recruitment ability / decision making. We are looking to use the Neves cash (hopefully 50m) to rebuild a squad where 3 players have already left and potentially Neves, Moutinho are on their way too.
We paid a combined 72m for a non scoring substitute in Silva, and Semedo (doesn't matter how good they are / may be) now appear to be spectacularly overpriced / bad business decisions.

Well your very entitled to your opinion

Yes the better players are going to eventually leave as they are the most sellable asset, problem is we need to sell the players to reinvest the funds

However, we do have more options scouting wise in other countries now which would allow us to get players before the top clubs do.

But I do get why people are worried, however I don't like the social media hysterics

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

its clear that Bruno is bein told to play Hwang.

Is it?

 

[SteveBullsKnee]

It's a real worry.

I've listened to Sellars and Vinny's as well and they just come across as clueless.

One example, not helped by Jonny Phillips admittedly as he implied it too, was how having away fans along the bottom of the Steve Bull gives away teams an advantage and makes more atmosphere for them. The vast majority of football fans in the league will tell you it's the worst away end in the league for making an atmosphere. So, this isn't a big deal, just shows the sort of idiots we have in charge.

Sellars was full of **** (again). 'If we brought in another central midfielder we wouldn't have found out about Luke Cundle'. He played 180 minutes all season in the league haha. He of course talks complete rubbish about Traore - also would say zero chance of him staying beyond this window from the tone.

Listened to Jeff, Vinny & Sellars so far and it's been a waste of time really. A lot of rubbish spoken (Jeff & FFP). Pretty pointless but looking forward to Lage's.

Here he is the prophet of doom.

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

I agree however I dont think to Fosun it matter whether people support the football or the e-sport. Shi is quite clear about that.

"Actually, there are a lot of supporters now around the world, so if we are talking about some supporters on social media here, for Wolves, the first-team, I think maybe not totally on the same page, I can admit that. But if we are talking about all the fanbase around the world, so, for example, some fans from America, some fans from China, some fans more interested in esports rather than football...."

In other words, it doesnt really matter too much whether fans of the football team is unhappy..

Now question that will of course be asked is, are those fans, who couldnt care less about the football, fans of Wolverhampton Wanderers, the club most of us here love and cherish or are they just fan of the "brand" that Fosun has used the Wolves as a tool for?

In a sense they could be genuine Wolverhampton Wanderers fans. I mean, Barcelona also have a basketball team, and I guess they've basketball fans, who dont care about the football team. Same now with us. We've E-sports fans who dont care about the football..
However its also very difficult for most of us to accept, that whats startening to happen now is, that the football part of Wolves may be just a small, and to a large degree, less important part of a large portfolio under the "Wolves brand".
It's also difficult to accept that to a large degree, the opinion of what is often deemed "legacy fans", those of us, who's been supporting Wolves, the football team for years, doesnt really matter much.

And therein lies the problem. Its becoming more and more apparent that that Fosun have brought a recognised brand to sell clothing, e-sports, records and its very unclear as to how much revenue this feeds into the club if at all. yet when Jeff talks about e-sports / record label however this is always linked to improving revenue streams for the club. There are increasing uses of the term Corporate - I worry That Fosun have paid a lot of money for a brand / logo.

Well your very entitled to your opinion

Yes the better players are going to eventually leave as they are the most sellable asset, problem is we need to sell the players to reinvest the funds

However, we do have more options scouting wise in other countries now which would allow us to get players before the top clubs do.

But I do get why people are worried, however I don't like the social media hysterics

 

[Deleted member 7862Bler]

Is it?

Jeff says...

I think it’s very hard to convince a Chinese fan to support Wolves without any element from Asia, from China, so you need to have some emotional attachment included in the club.

and....

Then, even for football itself and the older fans here or the new fans from China, from America, from Africa, their appetites are not the same, so you have to find a way, so some players from South Korea, some players from America, and I think they have their local heroes.

its pretty clear to me Jeff needs a Korean player in the team.

 

[Dan G WWFC]

A cash cow they’ve just written a £120 million debt off for.

A debt to themselves, to get us into the top flight.

 

[manchesterwolf17]

I'll go along with being a mid table dweller so long as there's components to reflect that.

1: Season Ticket prices
2: Interesting bloody football.

 

[Flump]

In any other business, someone being given favorable treatment in the workplace (e.g. being picked to play) ahead of someone of better ability purley because of their nationality/race would be a case for racial discrimination.
Sadly, I can see Hwang feature more and more next season and the fans resentment of him being picked getting worse as its clear its only done because these Korean.

Are you sure it's because he's Korean?

There are always "managers favourites", people moaned about Trincao being picked a lot this season, or Saiss, or Donk, or....

 

[Perton Wolf]

This isn't to help the club. This is to help them grow other interests.

We are nothing but a cash cow and good advertising

Yep, they are using our "brand" in a bid to push their other business interests. We'll be playing second fiddle for the foreseeable.

 

[StourWolves]

Glad the worldwide fans are so important to Jeff. If he keeps growing them, maybe he can stop increasing the actual fans season/match ticket prices every year

 

[Contrarian]

Surely, a few seasons consolidating in safe mid-table is a good way to eventually progress to being a top 6 club? No other club has come from nowhere to break that top 6 monopoly, not since Man City spent a billion and FFP pulled the ladder up, anyway. Leicester won the league and they haven't broken that barrier. This season, same top 6 as usual.

 

[Munich_Wolf]

Which is entirely my point. They’re successful and because of that have much more income than we do. You could argue that Leicester has given the big 6 a challenge but even they have been inconsistent since their title win, and since then their wages as a percentage of revenue has been in the mud. Did their title win really bring them more fans?

The club tries a completely fair and modern way of building up a following and everyone is up in arms.

Nothing wrong with adding extra revenue streams in principle, but it appears that Shi and Fosun are more interested in building the Wolves "brand" of which the club is only a increasingly insignificant part (only 200K people and potential legacy fans) rather than growing Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club that really matters to us.

For us "legacy fans" the brand is a means to an end, for Shi it appears to be the end itself.

He also practically admits that Hwang is here for Asian exposure FFS, not because he's a asset to the team.

 

[Glow69]

Surely, a few seasons consolidating in safe mid-table is a good way to eventually progress to being a top 6 club? No other club has come from nowhere to break that top 6 monopoly, not since Man City spent a billion and FFP pulled the ladder up, anyway. Leicester won the league and they haven't broken that barrier. This season, same top 6 as usual.

That ain't enough! Or quick enough..need that net spend to be -300 million at least. With a 60k stadium. All without any dollar coming in from other revenues.

 

[Contrarian]

Are you sure it's because he's Korean?

There are always "managers favourites", people moaned about Trincao being picked a lot this season, or Saiss, or Donk, or....

Or that the alternatives in all those cases, are even worse?

 

[yateleywolf]

Most interesting ,I found,was the talk of re-developing the Steve Bull Stand. Maybe even a possibility next summer. Someone had suggested doing exactly what he talked about as well on that thread.

 

[Ercall Wolves]

I can't see the point personally. Is Jeff going to tell us about Neves staying or going? Is Lage going to tell us who are his Summer purchases? Will we be told anything on ground improvements and how they have the nerve to charge top dollar to sit in a **** house like the SBU? Will they tell us what the ST increases are going to be? A waste of time.

Damned if they do
Damned if they don’t

 

[Mark Rankines Lovechild]

Well your very entitled to your opinion

Yes the better players are going to eventually leave as they are the most sellable asset, problem is we need to sell the players to reinvest the funds

However, we do have more options scouting wise in other countries now which would allow us to get players before the top clubs do.

But I do get why people are worried, however I don't like the social media hysterics

To be honest Josh - you have more faith in the scouting team than I do.
With the exception of RAN, Gomes and Chiquinho (none of whom have been regular first team starters) I don't really see it myself - what player have we beaten a top club too?
.
We have bought lots of "ones for the future - none of whom actually seem to be at Wolves" and are , seemingly, players for Grasshoppers.

 

[hollo]

It is outrageous that we are starting a player in a football team based solely on the fact he is Korean

Why don't w

Nothing wrong with adding extra revenue streams in principle, but it appears that Shi and Fosun are more interested in building the Wolves "brand" of which the club is only a increasingly insignificant part (only 200K people and potential legacy fans) rather than growing Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club that really matters to us.

For us "legacy fans" the brand is a means to an end, for Shi it appears to be the end itself.

He also practically admits that Hwang is here for Asian exposure FFS, not because he's a asset to the team.

If they specifically want asian players then make sure they are good and then it will give the right exposure. Preferably players that can control the ball.